A further wave of devastating attacks in Nigeria has killed at least 70 people, including Christians. Elsewhere in sub-Saharan Africa, in Niger, a couple were killed when they fled a church attack on Christmas Eve. Please pray.

 

At least 70 people have been killed and several abducted in a series of devastating attacks in Nigeria over Christmas and New Year, with Christians among those targeted. 

On 29 December, 14 people were killed when Islamist militants targeted the communities of Zah, Mubang Yadul and Kiking, located in a predominantly Christian region in Adamawa State. Shops and properties were burned during the onslaught.  

According to reports, the ‘assailants stormed the villages at about 6:16pm… unleashing violence that claimed the lives of elders and youths’.  

“This is not the first attack, not even the second,” a community member told Sahara. “It has been persistent, year after year, without those responsible being brought to justice.” 

On 30 December, two priests were badly wounded when bandits attacked the parish house of St Rita Catholic Church in Mararaba village, Nasarawa State. The priests were taken to a nearby hospital for treatment.  

Grieving villager 

On New Year’s Eve, at least nine people were killed by Fulani militants in Bum, a Christian village in Plateau State. Several more were wounded. 

“My father, brother and one of my sons were murdered when these Fulani knocked on our door,” said a villager. “They also went to my uncle’s house and killed five people, and they also killed one person in another house.”  

“We have never had a problem with them [the Fulani],” the villager continued. “They come in to graze their cattle from neighbouring villages and we allow them. There has never been a dispute between us.” 

A few days later, on 2 January, at least seven people were killed by suspected Fulani bandits in Bong village, also in Plateau State. The attackers carried out a ‘house-to-house operation, targeting women, children and elderly residents’, reports say. It’s unknown whether any of those killed were Christians.    

And on 3 January, gunmen killed at least 40 people and abducted several more, including children, when they attacked the villages of Demo, Chukama and Shanga in Niger State. Christians and Muslims are among the victims. It’s unclear which group, if any, the gunmen are affiliated to.  

Death, destruction and displacement 

“The insecurity across northern Nigeria generally and its impact on the Church more specifically remain deeply concerning,” says Jo Newhouse*, Open Doors spokesperson for work in SSA.  

“The situation has kept Christians in flux, unable to find any stability and bearing the physical, economic and psychosocial scars of living with perpetual danger or the result of attacks – death, destruction and displacement, to name but a few.  

“We call on the Nigerian government to do everything in its power to guarantee safety for all civilians and to proactively seek measures to end the violence and the impunity with which it occurs. As long as sections of Nigeria’s population are not free from targeting, no Nigerian can hope for a stable life. 

“We’ve entered a new year and many Christians in northern Nigeria are hoping and praying that they have left the worst behind them. Their hope is that the situation will improve and that it won’t be another year marked by bloodshed – please join us in praying with them.”  

Couple killed on Christmas Eve 

Elsewhere in sub-Saharan Africa, a couple were killed as they fled an attack on a church in Niger.  

The incident happened as believers gathered for a late-night service on Christmas Eve in Mailo, a village in the south-west region of Dosso. It’s reported that armed individuals entered the church at around 11pm, firing shorts into the air. As the worshippers fled, one man and his wife tried to hide in their home, but they were caught and shot dead. 

Witnesses told media that the attackers stole cattle before retreating, raising suspicions that Fulani militants are behind the attack. The affected area falls within Liptako-Gourma, a vast region shared amongst Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger that is seeing persistent violence from Islamist groups, worsening instability and causing a humanitarian crisis.  

Earlier, on 27 November, a pastor from the area was kidnapped before he later managed to escape.   

Nigeria is seventh on the World Watch List, whilst Niger is 28th. The latest list is launched next week (Wednesday 14 January), when you can get more up-to-date information about what’s going on in Nigeria, Niger and the wider sub-Saharan Africa region to share with others and to guide you in your prayers. 

 

Source and photo: Open Doors